Author's Note: Tobie, thanks so much for reading and reviewing, it is a delight to know someone out there is following my work and enjoying it so much! As to your question, there were four members of the away team, and Hoshi was the fourth. I had it in my story notes from Of Mice and Men, but I never specified the four in that story. I make notes as I flesh out plot and characters so I have a reference during the writing. It helps to avoid mistakes (I have a bad memory). It was merely bad luck for the three members of the away team to wind up kidnapped in Of Mice and Men, Hoshi was just lucky. grin

Chapter 4

Well This is Fun

Trip stared at Malcolm, then back towards Hoshi, "I think now would be a good time to leave." He uttered then dropped back on the bed.

Hoshi looked at Trip worriedly, he and Archer had barely recovered from the G'Tag, and now Archer had been taken away for interrogation, leaving them to dwell on what was happening. None of it made any sense. Bits and pieces of a puzzle that wasn't anything like the type she was used to solving. Languages were complicated, but at least there was a commonality of purpose. The Taltaxins were acting with everything else but an obvious purpose.

"Lieutenant, do you think he'll be all right?" She asked.

Malcolm looked up from studying the lines on his palms. He realized that this was probably rattling Hoshi, remembering her first missions. She had been a mess, questioning her ability to be a member of the crew. Though long past that point, she still was the least comfortable of the crew on away missions.

"If they wanted us dead, they would've done it a long time ago Ensign." He replied, giving her a half-smile or reassurance.

Hoshi couldn't help but think that wasn't quite the answer she had hoped to hear. "What if they want us dead now?" She mumbled.

Archer breathed hard. "Do you mind, I'm about half the size of you guys." He had been escorted...pulled a better description...through what felt like miles of corridors. They all had the same austere white paint, lack of windows and cold hard beige tile.

"Bet it must be awfully hard cleaning this place."

"Shut up."

The Taltaxin holding his right arm in a painful grasp glared at him.

"You know, you've got anger issues." Archer said, staring back at him equally hard.

A slap across the face that snapped his head back was the only reply. Archer could feel blood trickle down his chin from the busted lip his smart- ass comment had earned him. I really need to learn to be quiet, he thought.

Veen came to an abrupt stop in front of a door that looked like every other door, plain and silver, with no discernable control panel. He waved a hand- held item near the wall and the door slid back. Veen motioned for them to take Archer in.

"What, not going to stay and join the party?" Archer said.

Veen smiled, and walked away.

"You know, I'm starting to dislike that guy." He said, talking to the air. A slap on the head reminded him to keep his comments to himself. He glared at the brute holding his arm. A stony look reminded him these aliens really didn't care.

He was pulled in the room and tossed in a large metal chair. He fought to jump out, but was held roughly in place by his escorts, while buckles were attached to his wrists and ankles.

"I'm not really into being strapped into a chair...can't we talk about this?" Archer felt panic rising.

Brutus I and Brutus II, as Archer decided to call them since he didn't have a name, moved back to stand as sentinels by the door. Archer sensed movement behind him, straining he tried to turn his head far enough to see who or what was in the room with them. A friendly face came into view, allowing him to relax his muscles in his neck.

"Captain Archer, lovely to see you again!" The Taltaxin was what he would describe as on the short side, compared to those he had met up to now. He appeared to be running fat, and seemed very happy, almost Phlox-like with his giddiness.

"Do I know you?"

The fat Taltaxin grinned, "Oh my, you probably don't recall. We met at the dinner a while ago. You were a bit 'out of it' I suppose. In a way, that's my fault, I misjudged how much of the G'Tag to place in your drinks. Oh well, live and learn I always say." And he smiled even wider, if it were possible.

Archer had a very nasty feeling about this alien. He decided to try and learn as much as he could from the alien. "I, uh..." Archer pulled at the restraints, "...am at a disadvantage, I don't know your name."

"Oh, yes, how terribly rude of me, I'm Dr. Luvox. I work here at the ministry. They keep me quite busy, yes, indeed." Luvox fussed with some medical instruments on a tray he had pulled near Archer's chair. He picked up a vial of clear liquid and aspirated into a type of needle.

Archer squirmed harder against the restraints, "What is that?"

Dr. Luvox looked at Archer, and patted his arm, "Now, don't you worry about a thing. It's quite harmless. We need to know some information and this is a quite efficient method. Not messy like some of those other ways..." He dropped off and before Archer could form a protest, jabbed him in the neck, "Relax, Captain. Soon you won't care about a thing, I assure you."

Archer fought to maintain clear thought. The liquid burned through his neck, he could feel the chemical traveling through his veins. He felt hot and sleepy. "What...what is it?" He tried again.

"Are you really a Captain?" Luvox asked, pulling up a metal type chair, next to Archer. He was still smiling but his earlier easy-going demeanor was gone.

"Are you really a doctor?" Archer managed to spit out, though control of his tongue was slipping. He felt beads of sweat dripping through his hair. He found his vision blurring and his body slouching in the chair.

Luvox laughed, "Ah, maybe a little bit more then." And he jabbed Archer again.

"Shit! Would you stop that?" Archer yelled, the pain growing.

"If you tell me what I want to know, now, where were we? Oh yes...are you really a Captain of a vessel named Enterprise?"

Archer wanted to say yes, he wanted to give him what he wanted, so he would be left alone. His mouth wanted to act before his mind could tell it no. He fought for control. "And I think I asked if you...were really a doctor." He said.

Luvox's smile faltered, "Very unusual, but in a few moments I doubt you'll be able to resist even the simplest of questions."

Archer had to agree. What little control he had was fading fast. Before he lost all ability, he kept repeating mentally, say nothing...say nothing...say nothing...your mother is a slimy alien...your mother is a slimy alien.

Luvox swiveled his chair closer to Archer, bending in, "Are you Captain of a ship named Enterprise, from a different planet?"

Archer cursed, his words slurring, "Y...your mo...ther is ...a slimy...alien."

Luvox's smile fell from his narrow face entirely. He stood up angrily and delivered a hard blow to Archer's face. He leaned in until his face was inches from Archer's, "You will tell me what I need to know Captain. You may want to consider that if you tell me, your crewmembers won't have to. You can save them this pain, Captain."

Once more, with feeling, thought Archer dimly, "Go...to...hell!" He replied.

"I don't know what this...hell...of yours is, Captain, but I assure you, I will take you there." He said savagely, pushing himself back into his chair.

Trip studied Archer's face. His lip was busted and a vivid bruise was swelling out from his cheekbone. He was unconscious and largely unresponsive. An hour ago they had returned his friend to them, tossing him on the bed like a sack of leftovers. The three had hardly managed a protest before Hoshi had been yanked to her feet and hauled out of the room. Before the door had slid shut she had shared a last desperate look towards Tucker and Reed. She was the weak link. He sighed; they could only hope that she would find the strength she would need.

"Do you think she'll be all right?"

Malcolm stopped pacing, "I think she's a lot stronger than she realizes."

Luvox leered happily at the female strapped in the chair, "Your Captain was quite helpful, Ensign Sato."

Hoshi glared, he was lying, and both of them knew it. "I doubt that."

Suddenly Luvox leapt forward, coming so close that Hoshi found herself involuntarily pushing back further into the chair, "You're right. He had the chance to save you from this, but he didn't. How does that make you feel?" He jabbed her with a needle, and pulled his body away.

She cried out in shock, she hadn't seen the needle. She did feel the hot pain running rampant in her body. She couldn't stop the soft whimper of hurt, but held back anything further when she saw the triumphant smile spreading on the creepy doctor's face.

"I won't tell you anything either."

"We shall see, my dear, we shall see."

Luvox pulled up the chair he had sat in earlier with Archer. Hoshi couldn't help but notice flecks of blood standing out on his white jacket. Anger burned along with the chemical.

"Where is Enterprise from?" He asked.

"The Klingon Empire." Hoshi replied.

Luvox's eyes narrowed, "Klingon? What is this Klingon?"

Hoshi wanted to answer. She wanted to compare the big hairy war-mongering aliens to these nasty cold beings, but another surge of heat, and her tongue felt numb and sloppy. She stumbled to speak, "Ali...ens."

"Not you, then? How is Enterprise from this place?" Hoshi groaned. She wanted to tell everything down to her Grandma's favorite recipe. She berated herself, the Captain hadn't given up anything, and she wouldn't. Say nothing, say gibberish, say nothing...she kept repeating the mantra.

Luvox backhanded her. He leaned in again, "Explain!"

"You kind of...remind...me of a Klingon...big mean bull..y."

"I fail to understand why your kind is so willing to persist in defiance? We won't stop till we have the answers we seek." He grasped Hoshi's chin with strong fingers, forcing her eyes to look at his, "You are only ensuring more...discomfort...for yourself and your friends."

"Kling...on's have...lot's of hair." Hoshi was proud of that one; the furrows on Luvox's face had deepened, indicating he was not pleased.

Luvox stood up, gesturing for his assistants, the two escorts, to come and retrieve Sato. "Bring me Commander Tucker."

As they released Hoshi, he smiled, "It will not go so well for your friends if you all fail to give us the answers we seek. You may want to tell your Captain this."

Hoshi fought to focus on Luvox. There was no trace of the smile in his narrow eyes; the implied threat sent a chill down her spine. She would not show weakness, "Tell him...yourself." She spat angrily.

Her guards hauled her away.

"Have you gotten any information from the...detainees?"

Luvox fiddled with his tray, rearranging instruments and vials. Prime Minister Veen had arrived shortly after his assistants had taken away the female Ensign. Luvox enjoyed his work; he was a student of pain and the various methods of inflicting it upon others. He harbored a deep dislike for the ministry, and tolerated them as a means to an end. Because of their policies, he could practice while enjoying the sanctity of the government. It was the only reason he tolerated the insipient fawning and politeness he was required to present to the Prime Minister. The idiot probably had no idea he would just as soon sit Veen in his chair, as the other victims he played with.

He forced the fake smile, "Not yet Prime Minister, but I'm sure it will be forthcoming soon. I prefer a nice...slow...introduction into my sessions. It allows for a certain mental aspect in addition to the physical."

Veen inwardly shuddered, Luvox was a dangerous nuisance, his practices a blight against his administration, but an invaluable service that he must have. "There is a certain...urgency, Doctor, one hour remains before their ship expects contact. If their story is legitimate, we will have a bit of a problem on our hands."

"If their ship is legitimate, Prime Minister, then you all ready have a problem."

Veen chewed his lip in distaste, "I can't accept this, it isn't possible, a whole race of beings like these mutants? Inconceivable!" He strode towards the door, and turned to the Doctor, "I want answers Luvox, get them!"